Draft guidelines for implementing the Complete Streets Act have been released for public comment by the Governor's Office of Planning & Research. Comments are due by Nov. 19. The act became law in 2008 and takes effect next Jan. 1.

Under the act, a city or county that makes substantial changes to the portion of its general plan dealing with transportation and traffic must ensure that the plan provides for accommodation of all road users, including bicyclists, pedestrians, transit riders, seniors and the disabled, as well as motorists. The draft guidelines are meant to help public agencies adopt plans that meet this requirement.

More federal funds for CA high-speed railCalifornia's proposed high-speed rail system, seen as the nation's fastest and most comprehensive, has received nearly $900 million under a second round of federal grants. The bulk of the funds -- $715 million - are earmarked for the portion of the system between Bakersfield and Merced. With local support for the project especially high in the Central Valley, an infusion of new funding could enable construction in this area to begin comparatively quickly.

When Los Angeles closed downtown streets for the CicLAvia event on Oct. 10, not even organizers expected that 100,000 people would show up to bike, skate, run and walk along the 7.5-mile route. Advocates and city officials hailed the free event as a huge success and possibly even a turning point toward better accommodation of bicyclists and pedestrians in LA. CivLAvia organizers are planning 4 to 6 similar events for next year.

Los Angeles is the latest American city to temporarily close streets to motor vehicle traffic and transform them into impromptu public open spaces, an idea born in Bogota, Colombia, in 1976. Elsewhere in California, Oakland held its first ciclovia, dubbed Oaklavia, this spring. Sunday Streets, held in a different San Francisco neighborhood each month, ended for the year this month.

Eager to find a different direction for outreach efforts, the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition is taking its outreach program to the streets. Volunteers located streetside at the University of Southern California in September and just west of downtown during this month's CicLAvia talked to commuters on bikes and on foot about LACBC and solicited comments and concerns about sustainable mobility in Los Angeles.San Francisco calls for 20% of trips by bike by 2020

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has adopted a resolution with a goal of encouraging San Franciscans to make 20% of all trips by bicycle by 2020. Currently about 7% of trips in SF are taken by bike. The goal reflects plans laid out by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition in its ambitious Connecting the City project, which proposes a network of crosstown bike routes suited to all types of bicyclists.

SF area to test regional bike-sharing program

California's first large-scale bike-sharing program is set to launch next year and will feature 500 bikes in San Francisco and another 400 bikes along the Caltrain commuter train corridor in San Jose, Palo Alto, Mountain View and Redwood City. The $7.9 million pilot program, expected to be fully operational within two years, would be the nation's first regional bike-sharing program.

Seven other bike-sharing programs operate in California, mostly on college campuses, from Arcata to San Diego.

Bay Area coalition hires new EDThe Bay Area Bicycle Coalition has hired Diana Rohini LaVigne as executive director. She succeeds Andrew Casteel, who has taken a position with a technology start-up. A lifetime casual bicyclist, Diana has more than 20 years' experience in journalism, communications and nonprofit management, and holds degrees from Harvard University and Hebrew College. BABC represents bicycle coalitions from the 9 San Francisco-area counties on multi-county and region-wide bicycle policy and infrastructure issues.

East Bay coalition seeks executive director

The East Bay Bicycle Coalition is hiring a full-time executive director. Applications are due Nov. 25. Click here for more information.